Hi everyone! Please welcome Dionne Co, our guest blogger for the day. She blogs at Hello Beauty, so please do visit her and say hello! She's a true-blue makeup addict if I ever saw one. You'll love her tips, I'm sure.

Back in my high school, almost 99% of the students were Chinese. A lot of my classmates complained about not having double eyelids (we used to call it “ting sun” or “fold”) so you’d see some teenage girls walking around with scotch tape on their lids! It was pretty funny to look at but wishing for double lids was, is, and always will be a common occurrence among Oriental girls.

Although I don’t really have anything against surgery, it’s still pretty painful, expensive and risky. Not everyone’s willing to go under the knife. Today, I’m going to show you how to create that double lid effect with something inexpensive, safe and accessible – makeup!

The trick here is depth and dimension.

Read the complete step-by-step tutorial on how to create a double eyelid look after the jump! 

This is a sponsored post.

There are so many things we love about summer – we love the music, the fashion and the lighter, longer days. Longer days mean we’ll need more fashion to go around, so we’ve put together a list of essentials for a fearless festival style. You don’t have to hit the festival circuit to rock this look, and you can show it off all season around for a style savvy wardrobe with an indie twist.

No fashionista should be seen without her Aztec prints this season, and the festival circuit calls for statement colour that gets you noticed. The jersey mini skirt does well in colourful prints and we suggest you go as bright and as bold as you dare. Oranges, greens, reds and blues create a striking contrast that’s vibrant, fun an of course, ultra fashionable.  

When Blair Waldorf got married to her not-so-fairytale prince, everyone wanted to know one thing: what is her lip gloss? She was wearing a deep pink that set off her romantic, slightly smoked-out eyes beautifully. We've seen a lot of pinks before, but this one is a real knockout.

Everyone initially assumed it was a Chanel Glossimer since Blair is using a Chanel compact, after all. But some people have been saying that it was actually the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop (P450), and they make a good case for it!

The packaging is exactly the same, but then again Chanel Glossimers look like this Revlon product too.

I didn't have access to the internet yesterday so I wasn't able to blog. Ugh! I complain a lot about how difficult and desensitizing it is to blog everyday, but when I fail to do it, I feel incomplete. Anyhow I'm back and I have a couple of interesting things to share.

Joana, Mikha, and moi. Project Vanity readers are all pretty, I swear. 

Last Tuesday night I had the chance to meet my two Commenters of the Month, Joana and Mikha. These girls are really sweet, and so kikay! I really enjoyed chatting with them. I wish we had all night to hang out, but the Meg party was just next door and I also scheduled to meet some friends there. 

So yes, that explains the bongga smoky eye. I don't do this on a regular basis because I rarely go out to evening parties (and even then a red or dark lip is quicker and cleaner to do!), but the event was at Skye so I wanted something that would stand out.

I love makeup - not just products per se but the whole process of painting it on. It's a calming and deeply satisfying activity for me, so I don't mind setting aside some time for it. However, I gotta admit that I have lazy days too. There are days when makeup is the last thing on my mind, so I turn to no-brainer products that take only seconds to put on perfectly.

My latest discovery under this department is the Shu Uemura Creamy Dome Blusher in Fairy Pink. It's a cream to powder blush that has a very soft finish, so you don't need to blend it much or even use any tools. Just swipe and go! It's a godsend for hectic and/or lazy makeup days because it takes only all of 10 seconds to wear this.

Fairy Prink is a peachy pink shade that's not too pigmented - it's just right. I usually swipe across my cheeks twice to get a natural pink flush.

This is horribly late I know, but I thought I'd share these lipsticks anyway. They're too nice not to mention! The Avon Valentine Brights Colorbliss Lipsticks (P135) came out as part of Avon's collection for that season. They're specifically targeted toward teens, hence the brighter packaging and more affordable price compared to the Avon UMR Rose line.

I'm sure you're wondering what's the difference. Well, Simply Pretty lipsticks are also opaque, but they are drier and slightly waxier compared to UMR. They also have a lipstick smell but it's not super obvious like drugstore lipsticks. Overall, Simply Pretty lippies are not of the same quality as UMR, but for the price, they perform very well and feel comfy on the lips.

I'm sure that many of you guys have plans to hit the beach this summer, but if you don't - don't despair! There's a lot of amazing ways to spend your summer right here in the city. You can do a sort of staycation by visiting great spas, for instance. There's a lot to explore and experience if you know where to look!

I recently discovered a place called Neo Day Spa. "Discover" is hardly the perfect word as I have seen the spa countless of times before. I pass by it everytime I go to Burgos Circle in The Fort. It looked small and uninteresting so I never visited on my own, but things are not always as they seem. I'm glad to find out upon the spa's invitation. :)

Tea bar

Inside, Neo Day Spa's ground floor looks spacious and airy. The architect made use of geometric ceilings and concrete floors to give a sort of industrial, raw look to the place.

Feeling pretty is not the be all and end all of life, I know. But doesn't it feel so damn good to know that you look great? When you feel good, then you're probably more productive and sociable. That's why everyone should put some effort into looking as pretty as they can! 

Allow me to help by giving you the chance to win some pretty sweet (get it) items from some of our best local brands. Up for grabs are Anthology Piccadilly flats and a Charm Holiday Brush set. Whoever wins these is super lucky as I'm sure that the products will be a permanent part of your Can't Live Without list. :P

Mechanics

1. Show some love! Like the following pages on Facebook: Project Vanity, Anthology, and Charm Makeup Brushes.

2. Follow us on Twitter: @lizlan, @anthologyshoes, and @beautynminerals.

3. On the comments below, tell us what makes you feel pretty. It can be anything - from the perfect shade of lipstick, your hubby tucking your hair behind your ears (yihee), to a dainty dress that makes you look like a doll. 

I have always enjoyed standing in front of a crowd and doing my thing, whether it's speaking or singing. That was why weird little me looked forward to reporting, especially in college! Lol. That's why I was very excited to give a talk on beauty and fashion in one of Manila's top schools, Adamson University, upon the invitation of Tupperware/ Colour Collection.

The huge purple tour bus and I

The Colour Collection / Tupperware team - I love you guys!

Inside the bus, a Colour Collection paradise awaits

I dished a lot of makeup tips for college girls - from applying base to working with color, all under 15 minutes -and then shared some advice on how to dress for certain occasions like job interviews or romantic dates. Many of the girls asked me tips on specific concerns like how to make thin lips look fuller, how to contour, and so on. It's like a hyperactive, live version of Project Vanity, and I loved every minute of it!

Are you the kind of girl who doesn't have fifteen minutes to spend in front of the mirror every morning? Do you love super natural but still polished looks? If yes, then I think you'll love the Shu Uemura Eye Crayon in Misty Brown and Soft Brown (P1,375). It's a neat product that can work as an eyeliner or a cream eyeshadow, and you don't even need any brushes to make it work!

This is a good choice for girls who have no choice but to apply makeup in the car or (god forbid) the company/ school bathroom. :P It's super easy and convenient to use due to its creamy texture. However, it's not so creamy that it slides off and smudges messily. It pretty much stays put once you draw it on, with minimal smearing.

I really love the color combination, too! Misty Brown is a taupey brown that looks nice as a lid color or as a lower lid shader.

I apologize for the lateness of this announcement. I decided to pick two Commenter of the Month winners so that the next announcement comes in neatly at the end of April. The February winner gets the Cinema Secrets palette while the March winner shall get an Avon bag, Avon perfume, and Pond's skincare. 

Okay, for February we have Joana Chua and for March, Mikha! I will contact you gals shortly about how to claim your prizes. (Mikha please leave your email ad below, I'm afraid I don't have it).

And now, for the April gift! Flawless, one of the top derma and aesthetic clinics here in the country, has generously offered one session of Laser Hair Removal on the winner's preferred area (bikina, underarms, legs, or back). This is the perfect summer treat as I know most of you has plans to hit the beach.

Some info on LHR:

Laser Hair Removal is a Laser treatment to remove hair follicles and leave the skin smooth and hair-free.

I'm feeling down and not in the mood to blog because I have horrible skin right now. It's a bad mix of pre-period hormones, stress, heat, and possibly comedogenic products I've tried recently. It's driving me nuts! 

My skin is a seething mass of stupid acne right now. Makeup is a lifesaver. Whoever said makeup is useless and dumb doesn't know what he or she is talking about.

Some things that I am doing to remedy the situation:

1. I am using a Clindamycin 2% and Tretinoin 0.05% mix to dry my pimples ASAP.

I don't mind spending for shoes and makeup, but I am extremely stingy when it comes to body care products. I think that the stuff we use on our bodies have very basic functions and thus need not be be expensive. In my mind, basic products should be as cheap as humanly possible. On the other hand, complex products we intend to use a for a long time should be things we invest in (cost-per-wear).

I'm a cheapskate where it matters

I mean, why spend more than P30 on a pack of cotton buds? Or more than P200 for a body wash? Hand washes (the ones that come in 200ml bottles mind you!) that cost more than P70 is already highway robbery for me. Yes, I'm very particular about prices when it comes to buying such things! I don't see the point of spending a lot for something when there are alternatives at a much cheaper price that can do the same thing or differs only minimally from the expensive option.

That's why I really appreciate Watsons Switch & Save campaign. It encourages shoppers to turn to incredibly affordable but good quality Watsons label products to be able to save for things that actually matter.

I love natural-looking (but enhanced) lashes for everyday, but for special events and evenings out, I prefer big, cow lashes that can pass of as falsies. Pro tip: there's no better way to look glam than with eyes framed by long, voluminous lashes! They show up better in photos too.

I've been a long-time fan of the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara so I have great expectations from the brand's newest offering, the Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara (P795). It promises to deliver  volume, length, and lushness to your lashes - features that used to be offered separately by MM's individual mascaras.

The Lash King is supposed to be MM's ultimate lash product, and I am inclined to agree!

What I LOVE about the product

• It does give volume, length, and the illusion of more lashes with only one coat. One coat is enough for daily use. If you want to up the drama, use two to three coats! Guarranteed, you'll look like you have falsies on.
• Doesn't smudge or smear no matter how humid the weather is or how sweaty and oily I get.

Adding skincare elements into makeup is not a new concept, but you'll be hard-pressed to find such products at affordable price points. Maybe the ingredients that go into it are pricey or maybe by virtue of the added skincare, the makeup is already branded as a premium product. But that's not the case with Max Factor's newest foundation: the Max Factor Ageless Elixir Foundation + Serum (P895).

The foundation feels like a thick, heavily tinted serum. It's very moisturizing and has a velvety, mousse-like texture that's easy to spread and work with. Another distinctive feature is the floral scent - some people might be turned off by it, but since this is specifically marketed towards more mature women, the scent seems to be a preference for them.

The coverage is pretty good - medium to heavy - and goes on very smoothly without emphasizing fine lines and creases.

I only started to appreciate, and I mean really appreciate locally-made shoes when I started working for a Pinoy brand that makes them. I'm writing this just to share my thoughts and what I've learned (and still keep learning) from the experience. :) 

It was in the mid-90s when the influx of China footwear killed off a good chunk of the local shoe industry. Fact is, China shoes are cheaper and faster to make. Shoe factories in the Philippines simply can't keep up. It's economics, and everyone just dealt with it as best they could.

However, by mid-2000, things started looking up for local shoemakers. Consumers realized that buying mass-produced, imported shoes (usually) meant a reduction in product quality and an appalling tendency to have exactly the  same thing as everyone else. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, if you pay dirt cheap for a pair of shoes, you really can't expect much.

But people wanted to expect much. They didn't mind paying more if it meant having something fairly special in terms of quality, comfort, and design. It was around that time when small local brands started popping up to make great shoes at nice prices. They're still more expensive compared to China/ Bangkok/ Korea re-branded shoes, but they are definitely more competitive.

Avon mascaras have had a history of being unimpressive (for me). I wasn't expecting much from their latest one, the Avon SuperMagnify Mascara (P420), but I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I tried it on! It is such a nice everyday mascara, but you can also turn up the impact by adding a few more coats for an evening look.

Okay, anecdote time: I was at a coffee meeting when my right eye got irritated. I started tearing up heavily, as in really heavily. I unfortunately didn't have my lens case with me so I just endured the boo-boo until I can leave. I was really worried about my mascara running amok, but guess what, the SuperMagnify didn't! I got a bit of smudging (it's not waterproof) but it didn't look like a mess.

So yeah, this mascara made it to my list of reliable makeup. I've worn it in really humid weather and got only bearable smudging and smearing.

Here I am rambling about lasting power without even mentioning the effect first! Well, SuperMagnify lengthens and separates lashes into a fine, natural-looking fringe.

Summer is usually the time when I get terminally bored with my hair. It's also super hot so a girl must suffer a haircut, or at least a trim! Good thing Hair Philosophie took care of that for me. As for styling my hair at home, I bought a hair blower a couple of weeks ago to help with the frizz.

Well...actually I bought the blower mainly for my dog. :P I've never owned one before so I don't have the slightest clue on how to maximize it! I thought Snaps could use some quick drying after a bath, although I swiftly found out that he is deathly scared of the machine. Oh well. I might as well use it on myself.

I went to Watsons to buy a VS Sassoon blower because I heard of good reviews. They were at 10% off too, with a two year warranty on all the products. Not bad! I wanted to buy the pink hair dryer because it's the most affordable (less than P1,300 I think?) but I got talked into buying the bigger one called the VS Sasson Ceramic Jetset Dryer at P1,800 (price after the discount so I guess the original price is ~P2,000).